Glasses
by jojospn
Summary: SPOILERS for "Carpet Diem" and "A Tale of Two Stans". When Soos finds Ford's old bedroom, the first thing Stan sees are an old pair of glasses without an owner. Rated T for language.


**A/N: This is my first fic for** _ **Gravity Falls,**_ **having only recently found this awesome show online, so please forgive if I unintentionally go a tad OOC. Naturally, I don't own** _ **Gravity Falls,**_ **all rights reserved to Alex Hirsch and co. Based on Grunkle Stan's emtions upon seeing the pair of glasses in "Carpet Diem" and the moment he can be seen toying with them while watching TV later in the episode. SPOILERS for that episode, as "A Tale of Two Stans."The dialogue is taken from the episode, not because of lazziness but for the purpose of the story. Enjoy!**

 **Glasses**

The first thing Stan sees as he steps into his brother's former bedroom are the glasses.

The kids are already exploring the space, Dipper gasping in awe and Mabel uncovering dusy objects and tracing her fingers in the grime with a look of enchantment. But Stan can only feel a tightness in his chest, and for a moment, he fears he will lose it before the great niece and nephew. Everything about this room screams "Ford," from the scientific mumbo jumbo cluttering the shelves to the decor. _Oh, God, why did Soos have to find this place? Why can't those kids have just gotten along? Why, why..._

And then Dipper notices the tag poking through the tacky shag carpet. "Experiment 78? Grunkle Stan, what is this place?" There it is, the million dollar question. Trying to keep a neutral expression despite his overwhelming emotions, Stan makes his way, as inconspiciously as possible, to the stand where those dreaded glasses are sitting, waiting for their rightful owner. He can't tell the kids about his own twin, of the mysterious portal beneath the Shack and his insanely risky plan to bring him home. Ford wasn't kidding when he said it would be dangerous and Stan loved Dipper and Mabel dearly, despite the fact that they were a blatant reminder of the happier times he had shared with his own twin. And so he lied; it was Mr. Mystery did best, after all. "I don't now," he answered, quickly swiping the glasses from the table and slipping them in his suit pocket. "Just another room I got to clean up now."

And, thank God, Dipper seemsto buy his great uncle's explanation. Within minutes, the origins of the mysterious "experiment 78" (not even Stan had a sweet clue what that was about, Poindexter had always been into that freaky sci-fi shit even before their falling out) is forgotten, and the twins begin arguing over who would move into the space. _Neither of you, it's Ford's room, he's gonna want it back when he comes home, so you'd just have to move back in the attic anyway..._ But there's no way the kids will ever know about his plans, or their missing grunkle. And so Stan makes up his bullshit Suck Up Points system, in hopes of distracting the kids (and himself) from the room. He isn't exactly thrilled with seeing the two fighting, even if witnessing their bond is excruciating. Not surprisingly, the two latch on to the plan, trying to best each other (and acting, as Stan notices later in the day, rather, well, _off)_ and the older man can simply try to forget.

And he does, for the most part. The Suck Up Points strategy is surprisingly effective: his front lawn, overgrown to the point where many have compared it to a jungle, is mowed, breakfast made for him, shelves in the gift shop stocked to the brim. In fact, he's having a great day bonding with his great neice and nephew; he'd never laughed so hard in his life after having _the talk_ with Dipper. It isn't until later in the day, oblivious to the commotion in the room behind him, Stan sits in his favourite arm chair, the latest episode of _Baby Fights_ on TV, Ford's glasses in his unsteady hands. He feels the lump forming beneath his throat, tears threatening to blur his vision. Will he even be able to save his brother? And if so, will it be like it was before? He tries to push these unsettling thoughts aside: _I'll worry about that when the time comes,_ he thinks to himself as he gently caresses the lens with his thumb. But despite his reassurances, Stan can't help but worry that even _if_ his foolhardy plan to rescue Ford somehow succeeds, the odds of the two reconciling are slim, to none.

His thoughts are interrupted by the undecipherable shouts from the coveted bedroom, and Stan quickly puts the glasses away. Reaching for the remote, the older man cranks the volume, trying in vain to forget.

XXX

Stan stands before his batterd mirror, his long lost twin beside him. He can still feel the tension cutting like a knife, but he feels a lightness he hasn't experienced since he was still a boy, before his life of homelessness and near starvation, before losing his brother to that goddamn portal. Dipper and Mabel's arrival in Gravity Falls in the early days of summer had helped to aleviate the pain, even if it hurt to witness.

"Look at us," Stan finally breaks the silence. "When did we become old men?"

Surprisingly, it's Ford who breifly eases the tension. "You look like Dad," he says with a smirk. "Ugh, don't say that!" But there's laughter in his voice, and the pair share a chuckle. It's like old times, and as pathetic as it migh seem, Stan doesn't want this moment to end. It has litterally been decades since the pair had shared a laugh, no matter how insignificant.

But, as expected, the moment _does_ end. Ford sighs, and Stan feels his heart sink. This is it. The moment he's been dreading. "Okay, Stanley, here's the deal. You can stay here for the summer to watch the kids. I'll stay down in the basement and try to contain any remaining damage. But when the summer's over, you give me my _house_ back, you give me my _name_ back, and this Mystery Shack junk is over forever."

Throughout his twin's speil, Stan lowers his head, fighting back tears. Who had he been kidding? To expect his brother to forgive and forget after thirty years? He'd been a naive fool to believe that he'd ever _truly_ get his brother back. But at the mention of once again being homeless, fear overcomes him; his chest tightens, and Stan fears he might have a heart attack right there in front of his selfish, arrogant brother. How _dare_ he kick him out, after learning of how he'd already been homeless before? After wasting _thirty goddamn years_ of his life trying to rescue him, and not without so much as a "thank you"? And so anger swallows the fear as Stan turns to face Ford. There is no way he will ever endanger Dipper and Mabel's life, not as long as he, Stanley Pines, was still breathing. "Because, as far as I'm concerned, they're the only family I have left."

But the anger vanishes after a moment, as Stan sneaks a glance behind at his brother. Perhaps his speech had somehow changed his mind? But his brother is standing with his back to him, and Stan retreats to his room. He sits on his bed, pulling out the old pair of glassed he's hidden in his drawer. Once again holding them in his hands, Stan lovingly traces a thumb over the lens, as he'd done when he'd first found them earlier in the summer. The tears finally fall and Stanley Pines sobs quietly, unaware that his great niece lies awake, terrified that a future of resentment and hatred lies before her.


End file.
